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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The Global Threat of Persistent Organic Pollutants

Brandon TurbevilleActivist Post
June 24, 2013
In my past two articles I have discussed
the connection between pesticides, both general and POPs (Persistent
Organic Pollutants), to a myriad of adverse health effects such as
cancer and neurological disorders, particularly Parkinson’s Disease. For
these reasons alone, it is important to look at the standards currently
set for such chemicals by the international standard-setting
organization known as Codex Alimentarius.

As I mentioned in the first article in this series, I will distinguish
between two different types of pesticides for the sole purpose of the
topic of discussing Codex Alimentarius guidelines – general pesticides
and POPs. General pesticides should be recognized as, quite simply,
those pesticides not considered a Persistent Organic Pollutant by the
Stockholm Convention. General pesticides are those which are most widely
used since the Stockholm Convention actually banned the use of POPs
altogether. Nevertheless, it is important to make the distinction for
the purpose of clearly understanding Codex guidelines in this regard.

The term Persistent Organic Pollutant applies to
specific types of pesticides and chemicals. These substances have been
used mostly in pest control, “disease control,” agriculture, and other
different industries. The EPA distinguishes between two different types
of POPs in terms of their production – intentional and unintentional.
Intentionally produced POPs are those which are produced for the purpose
of being used in manufacturing, agriculture, pest/disease control, or
other industrial uses. To put it quite simply, intentionally produced
POPs are those that are produced intentionally.

Unintentionally produced POPs are those that are essentially byproducts
of industrial processes or combustion (like the incineration of waste)
etc.[1]

The chemical in question has to meet fairly stringent requirements in
order to obtain the status of POP, however. Additionally, the label
“organic” means the chemicals must be carbon-based (organic) substances.

According the website of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants, they must also meet the following requirements.

They possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they:

Remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time (many years);

Become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of
natural processes involving soil, water and, most notably, air;

Accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms including humans,
and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food
chain; and

Are toxic to both humans and animals. [2]

Initially,
the Stockholm Convention, the United Nations treaty that requires
nations to cease or reduce the production, application, and release of
POPs, distinguished 12 substances as those that should be eliminated.
This treaty places the POPs into 3 different categories: pesticides,
industrial chemicals, and by-products. POPs and their categories are
listed below:

The
major difference between general pesticides and POPs is not necessarily
in their level of danger but the fact that they meet the guidelines
listed above and that they remain intact for long periods of time,
become widely distributed, and accumulate in fatty tissue.

The accumulation of POPs in fatty tissue is at the heart of the problem
with these chemicals due to the fact that they can pose an even more
serious threat to predators at the top of the food chain than those at
the bottom. This is due to the process known as biomagnification, where
POPs accumulate in the fatty tissue of organisms and become more and
more concentrated as they move from one organism to the other. As they
work their way through the food chain, becoming more and more
contaminated as they move along, those organisms at the very top of the
food chain will be ingesting the largest amounts of the chemicals. It is
for this reason that even small releases of POPs can be disastrous,
especially for localized ecosystems that dine on local game/fish.

An example cited on the EPA’s website reflects on a study conducted by
the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, where it was found that
caribou in the Northwest Territories of Canada had as much as 10 times
the amounts of PCBs as the lichen that they ate. Not only that, but the
wolves that dined on the caribou contained 60 times the amount of PCBs
as the lichen.[6]

The adverse effects of POPs on wildlife are very similar to those on
humans. Studies conducted on wildlife communities showed “reproductive,
developmental, endocrine, immunologic, and carcinogenic effects.”[7]
Other studies have shown further connections between thyroid and
estrogen disorders.[8] Marine animals warrant a particular concern due
to the fact that POPs have low water solubility and therefore bond
easily with particulate matter in sediment. This gives them the ability
to lay dormant for a long time in the water supply, becoming active
again when disturbed years later.

Not only that, but the fact that POPs do not have to be directly applied
to an area or species to be present or have an effect on these
organisms creates a pollution problem that knows no boundaries. The
discovery of POPs in the Alaskan Arctic, thousands of miles away from
any known source, is a prime example of this. It is well-known that POP
compounds can attach themselves not only to aquatic sediment material,
but also to airborne particles. Along with the ability of most POPs to
exist as gases, this allows them to have increased ability to travel
long distances and potentially pollute the entire globe.

Some
of these chemicals are able to evaporate from land and water sources
into the air, and return to the earth in rain, snow, and mist. Add to
this the transportability of the POPs by airborne and aquatic means, as
well as by the very human and animal organisms being contaminated by
them, and one can easily see the problem posed here.[9]

However, it should be noted that although only 21 of these substances
are listed as POPs, the potential for any of the thousands more
combinations of chemicals to do the same is still very real.

Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Florence, South Carolina. He
has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author
of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident. Turbeville
has published over 200 articles dealing on a wide variety of subjects
including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties.
Brandon Turbeville's podcast Truth on The Tracks can be found every
Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.

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